She is working to improve the informed consent process around anesthesia information, especially for families who do not speak English as a first language.

Key Partnerships

Partnerships are an essential part of the Treuman Katz Center’s mission. Our researchers collaborate with colleagues across the nation and around the world in pursuit of answers to complex bioethics questions.

Bioethics Consultations

Our bioethicists provide practical guidance to families, providers, researchers and policymakers about patient care, public health and research issues. Our consultation service is available to colleagues throughout Seattle Children’s and the University of Washington, and we offer informal advice to people at outside institutions. Learn more about our services.

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Our Experts in the Media

Mandatory MMR vaccine a possibility in Washington state – 2.7.19 – Seattle WeeklyA new house bill could add pressure on Washington parents to vaccinate their children. HB 1638, a more urgently pressed piece of legislation because of the ongoing state measles outbreak, would remove the personal and religious exemptions currently allowed for the MMR vaccine. “The measles causes different sorts of problems, but this is an example of how powerful vaccinations can be at eliminating or getting close to getting rid of these horrible diseases of childhood,” said Dr. Douglas Diekema, a physician at Seattle Children’s.

Vaccine skeptics fight Washington bill to end personal exemptions – 1.30.19 –The StrangerIn the midst of a measles outbreak, Washington legislators introduced a bill to end personal exemptions from vaccines. According to Dr. Douglas Diekema, a physician in the ED at Seattle Children’s, there is no credible evidence an allergic reaction to any vaccine causes autism. “Researchers from multiple countries have published studies containing tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of children, and there is nothing there,” said Diekema.

Cambia Health Foundation announces 12 new Sojourns® Scholars – MorningstarThe Cambia Health Foundation has announced the selection of 12 new emerging palliative care leaders for its Sojourns® Scholar Leadership Program. Each Sojourns Scholar receives a two-year, $180,000 grant to conduct an innovative and impactful project tied to a leadership development plan that positions the scholar for growth as a national leader in the field of palliative care. Dr. Abby Rosenberg of Seattle Children’s and UW received the grant for her project “Promoting Resilience in Adolescents and Young Adults with Serious Illness.”

Officials in anti-vaccination ‘hotspot’ near Portland declare an emergency over measles outbreak – The Washington PostA quickly escalating measles outbreak around Portland, Ore., has led health officials in nearby Clark County, Wash., to declare a public health emergency. The outbreak makes concrete the fear of pediatric epidemiologists that a citadel of the movement against compulsory vaccination could be susceptible to the rapid spread of a potentially deadly disease. “It’s alarming,” said Dr. Douglas Opel, a pediatrician at Seattle Children’s. “Any time we have an outbreak of a disease that we have a safe and effective vaccine against, it should raise a red flag.”

‘Spirits won’t rest’: DNA links ancient bones to living aboriginal Australians – The New York TimesMuseums around the world hold the remains of Aboriginal Australians, many of them stolen. Now geneticists may have found a way to return the bones to their homes. In a study published in Science Advances, a team of geneticists showed they could use fragments of DNA retrieved from bone or hair to determine where in Australia the remains originated. Dr. Nanibaa’ Garrison, a bioethicist at Seattle Children’s and the UW, who was not involved in the new study, said that the research could eventually serve as a model for collaborations between scientists and Native American tribes in the U.S., who have similar concerns about scientific exploitation. “This work is great as a proof of concept,” said Garrison.

Compatible with life? – Stanford MedicineDr. Benjamin Wilfond, a bioethicist and pediatric pulmonologist at Seattle Children’s Hospital, is a longtime advocate for broader interventions for children with trisomy 13 and 18. Recently, one of Wilfond’s trisomy 18 patients in Seattle had chronic respiratory failure and a heart defect. She received a tracheostomy and spent several months on a ventilator. Eventually, she could breathe on her own and was healthy enough to receive surgery. She’s now 3.

Seeking greater inclusivity in genomics research – 11.1.18 – ForbesThere have been a number of recent efforts, many led by indigenous scientists around the world, to draw attention and offer solutions to issues with research among under-represented communities. Dr. Nanibaa’ Garrison, a bioethicist at Seattle Children's Research Institute and a member of the Navajo Nation, advocates for “increasing the training and capacity of Indigenous people so that they can bring a much-needed perspective to the interpretations of the results,” she said.

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